Chapter 584 - 380: This Battle

SQUELCH-CRACK!

In a split second, the Rock Giant Scorpion's battering-ram-like pincers snapped shut with lightning speed! Its target wasn't Lu Hongyan's head, but the long leg she had flung into the air while dodging!

The sickening crunch of pulverized flesh and bone was enough to make anyone's skin crawl.

"Ah—!!! My leg!!"

An agonizing scream echoed across the wasteland! Lu Hongyan's left leg was instantly snapped off below the knee by the terrifying force! Blood sprayed from the severed limb like a fountain! The sheer agony wiped her consciousness blank. Hurled through the air by the tremendous impact, she plummeted from the Golden Lion's back and crashed heavily into the ground like a broken ragdoll!

The violent collision made her vision go black, feeling as if her insides had been completely scrambled, yet the soul-tearing agony remained unmistakably clear! She writhed on the ground in pain. Her expensive Lord's Flowing Light Dress was smeared with mud and gore, stripping away all her former nobility, leaving only the wretchedness of impending death and endless terror.

Man Datou landed back onto the giant scorpion's back. Lowering his massive axe, his icy gaze swept over the still-struggling Golden Lion Mount and the corpses of the guards scattered on the ground—either impaled by the scorpion's stinger or smashed to a pulp by its pincers. Any remaining Will to resist had completely collapsed.

Wang Yi twisted the handlebars with an expressionless face. The Tractor Crossbow rumbled steadily across the battlefield, stopping right in front of Lu Hongyan. He looked down from his high vantage point at the once-glorious female Lord, his eyes as indifferent as if he were staring at a corpse.

Lu Hongyan gasped for breath, convulsions wracking her body from the pain, her vision blurring from blood loss. She strained to make out the young face looking down at her through the smoke and dust—the Lord of Stone Village, who was supposed to be her prey!

Mingled with her terror was a bone-deep resentment and refusal to accept defeat. She wanted to curse and scream, but Wang Yi merely tilted his chin up slightly, his gaze sweeping over Man Datou and the giant scorpion's pincer dripping with the Lord's blood.

Man Datou instantly understood. The colossal Rock Giant Scorpion raised its gore-splattered pincer. The cold, bladed edge gleamed darkly under the sunlight. Without a moment's hesitation, carrying the absolute finality of ending everything, it snapped down viciously toward the pain-twisted figure on the ground—aiming straight for that head still brimming with venomous spite!

CRACK! The teeth-setting crunch of shattering bone was deafeningly sharp.

[Ding! Congratulations to Lord Wang Yi for successfully slaying hostile Lord Lu Hongyan (ID: Red Flame)! Achievement "First Lord Kill" unlocked! Rewards: Lord Experience +500, Territory Reputation +500, Random Rare Blueprint x1, Spatial Teleportation Anchor Scroll x1!]

[Ding! Warning: Detected the death of Lord Lu Hongyan. The core of her territory, Lu Family Stronghold—the [Lord Mansion Stele (Beginner)]—has entered an unowned state! If no new Lord binds to it within 24 hours, the territory's resources will dissipate, and its buildings will gradually collapse! You may proceed to attempt capturing or destroying it!]

The cold system notifications announced the end of a life and the collapse of a faction.

Meanwhile, inside the General's Tomb dungeon.

Pang Damao huddled at the edge of Lu Junsheng's elite squad, feeling the cold, hard ground beneath his feet. The surroundings were dead silent. Only the heavy footsteps of the Skeleton Infantry and the restless neighing of the Skeleton General's armored warhorse echoed across the dim, lifeless ruins of the ancient battlefield.

[Ding! Lord Lu Hongyan has died! All members of the Lu Family Stronghold are now detached from the faction! Your current alignment is: None.]

[You have triggered a hidden quest: Dungeon Betrayer!] Quest Details: Choose the right moment to backstab and severely injure or kill the dungeon boss, the Skeleton General! Based on your contribution, you may plunder additional loot during the dungeon settlement! Warning: Betrayal carries extremely high risks!

Pang Damao shuddered violently, his heart nearly leaping out of his throat! The Lord... was she dead?! The Immortal Master... no, his Lord... he had actually done it!

Soon after, an immense, almost uncontrollable wave of ecstasy and excitement drowned out his myriad fears! His Lord had made his move! Lu Hongyan was dead! The time for him, Pang Damao, to rise to power... had finally come! Looking ahead at Lu Junsheng—now the former General Lu—who was fully concentrated on commanding the troops and warily pointing his long saber at the Skeleton General, Pang Damao's beady little eyes instantly turned incredibly ferocious and cunning.

He instinctively tightened his grip on the cold hilt of his blade, his body arching slightly like a hyena about to pounce. He locked his unblinking gaze on the completely exposed, vital spot on the side of Lu Junsheng's neck! He then shot a glance at the heavily armored, awe-inspiring Skeleton General in the distance... and the banner behind it that symbolized victory in the dungeon.

Pang Damao's mind raced as he wondered which kill would yield the greater merit and whose hands the treasures would fall into. The flames of greed danced wildly in the depths of his pupils.

An Ambitious Leader Bleeds, Strange Phenomena Arise in the Tomb (B-Plot Climax + Initial Results)

Scene: Outside the General's Tomb (B-Plot Climax)

Surprise Attack and Fierce Battle:

Relying on the Rock Giant Scorpion's speed and power, Man Datou instantly tore through the defense line of the last few guards (instant kill or knockback). The Sha River Overlord Spear thrust straight for Lu Hongyan!

Wang Yi's Tractor Crossbow let out a roar, unleashing a dense rain of arrows that blanketed Lu Hongyan and her Golden Lion Mount, sealing off any room to dodge.

Lu Hongyan's Trump Card: In a life-or-death crisis, Lu Hongyan displayed her methods as a Player:

The Golden Lion suddenly unleashed its might: Might possess powerful explosive strength/sonic attacks/or speed-boosting evasion skills, allowing it to tank Man Datou's first strike or avoid vital points.

Lord Skills/Items: Instantly activating a shield (radiating brilliant light)? Using some sort of displacement scroll/smoke bomb to attempt putting distance between them? Or pulling out a Magic Staff to cast offensive Magic (ice arrows, fireballs?) to counterattack Wang Yi/Man Datou?

Pang Damao's Choice: As the chaotic battle erupts, does Pang Damao scurry away with his head in his hands to play dead? Or does he take advantage of the chaos to score a cheap win (snatch